BCBSNC members see better health with SAS® analytics

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) will expand its use of software from analytics leader SAS to provide the analytics and automation platform to help consumers better harness benefits to improve their health.

BCBSNC’s comprehensive consumer engagement program helps members get and stay healthy, navigate the often-complicated health care system, and take full advantage of the robust, health-related benefits they can access as customers of the health plan. The program will focus on critical health care issues like preventive care, provider selection and cost of care awareness.

“Better understanding our customers means communicating with them in the way they prefer, be it text, email, or Internet,” said Shawn Sullivan, BCBSNC Director of Marketing. “Analytics play an important role in accomplishing this. The insights we glean will enable us to share information with customers in a way that truly empowers them to make better decisions and to take control of their own health care.”

BCBSNC’s platform incorporates consumer-level analytics in a robust, automated consumer-engagement system that includes a wide variety of communication channels and the capability for BCBSNC representatives to engage with plan members in real-time. This will help BCBSNC better understand how and when consumers want to receive information about health care, how they use this information, and how to improve the overall member experience – all in the pursuit of improving member health and satisfaction with BCBSNC’s services.

“BCBSNC continues to set a high bar in its adoption of advanced analytics,” said Graham Hughes, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the SAS Center for Health Analytics and Insights. “Using data to better understand and proactively anticipate patient needs is an important step on the journey to improving the health and wellbeing of the communities the plan serves.”

About BCBSNC

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.84 million members, including approximately 1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. Since 1933, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 80,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.